State senator found not guilty of trespassing, property damage

State Sen. Suzi Schmidt has been found not guilty of trespassing and criminal damage to property.

A Lake County judge this afternoon cleared her of the misdemeanor charges stemming from her June 12 arrest – the culmination of a long-running dispute with her neighbors.

Judge George Strickland let stand an order of protection that requires Schmidt to stay away from the neighboring couple and their children, who live on property adjacent to Schmidt’s home near Lake Villa.

Schmidt was accused of walking onto the neighbors’ property and damaging a bag of feed.

The Lake Villa Republican and former chairwoman of the Lake County Board announced earlier this year that she would not seek re-election to the 31st District Senate seat. Her decision followed revelations that police had intervened in domestic disturbances between Schmidt and her husband at least three times. In one instance, she is heard on a 911 call telling a dispatcher to “ignore” her husband if he sought help from police.